From Hotel Helios, you can reach San Giovanni Rotondo, the city where Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, more commonly known as Padre Pio, lived. The Sanctuary of San Giovanni Rotondo welcomes thousands of visitors daily from around the world and is a place of great tourist interest, not only for Catholic pilgrims.
San Giovanni Rotondo is a symbolic destination for the Catholic faith and is among the most renowned sites globally for religious tourism, as it was the home of Padre Pio for 52 years. Faith permeates every corner of this town in the Puglia hinterland, located within the Gargano National Park.
Visiting San Giovanni Rotondo means experiencing firsthand the sacred places connected to the figure of Saint Pio and his troubled life, in a blend of ancient and contemporary. An itinerary here will have the modern Church of San Pio as its main stop, designed by the architect Renzo Piano, whose plan recalls the spiral of Archimedes. Inside this impressive religious building is the crypt, adorned with splendid mosaics by Marko Rupnik, housing the remains of the Saint.
Subsequent stops include the Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie and the Convent that has housed Capuchin friars since the 16th century. Since 1916, the convent has also been the home of the Saint: here, you will be moved by visiting both his well-preserved cell and the choir of the old Church, where in 1918 Padre Pio received the stigmata.
